How our Bliss Filters work
As on all Celebrity Cruises voyages, your base fare includes drinks, Wi-Fi and gratuities at no additional charge. Drinks are those included in the Classic Beverage Package. Premium spirits, craft beers and specialty coffees cost extra.
We were blown away by the quality of the restaurants on Celebrity Equinox. There are two main free dining venues: the multiple-level Silhouette Dining Room and the large buffet-style Oceanview Cafe (featuring servers instead of self-serve). But you'll want to save up for the first-rate specialty restaurants on board.
Try to make reservations in advance or purchase a specialty dining package prior to sailing. We had a hard time choosing from these top-rate alternative restaurants:
More informal venues include Cafe al Bacio for coffees, the Mast Grill for poolside fare and the AquaSpa Cafe for healthy eats during breakfast or lunch.
Our nine-night voyage originated in Ft. Lauderdale and stopped in Nassau, Aruba, Curacao and Bonaire. Because the ABC Islands (off the coast of Venezuela) are so close to each other, our back-on-board time wasn't until 11:30 pm on Aruba and 10 pm on Curacao. Because everyone on the ship was not only vaccinated but had to provide a negative COVID test within 48 hours of departure, we had great latitude to explore on our own rather than staying in a confined bubble tour.
We took advantage of low-cost ship excursions in Nassau (a fun Pearl Island Beach Day outing), Aruba (Sailaway Snorkel Cruise) and Curacao (a bus tour of island highlights and Mambo Beach). We struck out on our own on Bonaire and also made a long day of it on Aruba when we met up with a local friend for a late afternoon drink at Big Mama's Grill at Baby Beach with its friendly, relaxed vibe. It was our first trip to the ABC islands ... but it won't be our last!
On board, with four full sea days, we had plenty of time to explore. Our favorite spots on the ship turned out to be:
We stopped in at the Retreat Sundeck on the top level (empty on a blustery day) and the cozy Retreat Lounge, with its friendly staff. It turned out to be one of the easiest places on the ship to chat up fellow passengers. Both are available to Retreat Class guests.
We didn't spend much time at the casino, with its assortment of Texas Hold 'em, cash games, slots, craps and all the rest, or at the shops, with a wide variety of upscale merchandise from the likes of Kate Spade, Swiss and John Hardy.
And we'll note that Celebrity has turned the muster drill into a quick and efficient video that guests can watch from their staterooms in this era of physical distancing. Nice.
Signature features
Here are some of the other signature features on Equinox:
During the day and into the evening, several guests found poolside bliss at the enclosed Solarium. It features an indoor lap pool, small waterfall, thickly padded lounge chairs and a soothing, colorful LED array.
We didn't see many guests taking advantage of the freshly manicured Lawn Club on the ship's top deck, but it's a staple of the Solstice class.Go ahead, pretend you're at a country club, kick off your shoes and feel the blades of real grass between your toes.
I frankly didn't know what to expect with the Silent Disco, but we headed to the foyer, grabbed our noise-canceling headphones and switched from the orange to green to blue channels for different dance songs (hits from the '70s to '90s, mostly) played by the ship's entertainment director and two DJs. Everyone with the same colored earphones would groove to the same tune, often sampling the other channels to see which songs they preferred. Great fun!
The Library on deck 10 was an unexpected delight and made for a cozy reading spot where we could binge on a wide variety of classic and genre fiction as well as chat up strangers.
While Celebrity can't compete with some of the more elaborate stage productions found on Royal Caribbean, MSC Cruises and other lines, it does offer a diverting night's entertainment, held in the ship's Equinox Theater. You'll find three hourlong stage shows — we especially enjoyed "Live" — with dancers, aerialists and singers, along with comedians and specialty acts performing pre-dinner and post-dinner shows.
Next to the theater, the smaller Celebrity Central was the gathering place for movies, late-night improv and lectures about the ports from local experts.
Celebrity is especially known for its wellness offerings, and we were impressed by the wide array of wellness, fitness and enrichment options each day. These include morning stretch and yoga classes (extra cost), mixology classes, Cognac tastings, tech lessons in the iLounge, arts and crafts events and a wonderful hot glass class where participants got to mold their own glassworks.
The gym was big and well equipped, with guests using the facility at all hours. And the Spa offered a wide range of facial and body treatments. I opted for a Swedish massage (extra cost) and felt refreshed and relaxed for the rest of the cruise. The next day I returned to hang out in the Persian Garden (extra cost for non-suite guests) with its warmed tile seats.
With an atmosphere inspired by ice and snow, this enchanting frosted bar was the place to be in the heart of the ship. Guests could grab a drink before dinner, while others made a night of it. We hung out at a table at the edge of the bar and wound up chatting over drinks for 45 minutes with a cool couple from Connecticut and their adult daughter.
Honestly, we barely had time to visit all the lounges and bars on board during our nine-night voyage. In addition to the Martini Bar, Sunset Bar, Craft Social and the Sky Lounge nightclub, other inviting spots included the classy World Class Bar in the middle of the action on deck 5, the Passport Bar on deck 3, the Destinations Bar on deck 4 and Ensemble on deck 5.
We headed to the Sky Observation Lounge on sea days to socialize, settle into a comfy seat and to wind down with a cocktail. The lounge features floor-to-ceiling windows for scenic views of the passing landscapes.
Not everything was perfect on board. Among the misses:
Celebrity Equinox keeps it simple with a handful of cabin choices for 2,852 passengers when sailing at full capacity. Room categories are:
Veranda Stateroom: 192 square feet, featuring a king-size bed (or two doubles), seating area, flat-screen TV and 54-square-foot veranda.
Concierge Class Stateroom: The same layout as a Veranda Stateroom but with a dedicated concierge. We stayed in a Concierge Class stateroom on deck 10, which was comfotable enough for resting up between trips to the public spaces and catching up on the news on the TV, though we shared the view that the bathrooms were too cramped. One standout feature was the eXhale bedding with Cashmere mattresses — the bed provided some of the better night rests we've enjoyed over 30-plus sailings.
AquaClass Staterooms: The same size as Veranda and Concierge staterooms, these come with premium bath amenities, a massaging shower head, complimentary fitness classes, complimentary dining at Blu, unlimited access to the Persian Garden and a personal spa concierge.
Suites: As part of The Retreat, your suite offers a long list of luxurious amenities, a Personal Retreat Host, private dining in Luminae and exclusive spaces, including The Retreat Lounge. Sky Suites measure 300 square feet, Celebrity Suites are 394 square feet, Royal Suites come in at 590 square feet and the luxurious Penhouse Suites are a generous 1,291 square feet, with larger verandas for all suites.
Other cabin options are the Ocean View Stateroom, at 176 square feet, and an Interior Stateroom at 183 to 200 square feet.
Editor in Chief JD Lasica sailed on Celebrity Equinox as press and his fare was comped by Celebrity Cruises. See Cruiseable's Ethics & disclosure policy.
How about you? Have you sailed on Celebrity Equinox? We'd like to hear about your experience.
For pricing, itinerary information and to reserve your spot on Celebrity Equinox, contact a Cruiseable travel consultant by email or call 1-877-322-3773.
